Stoker signal



G. ORPHAN STOKER SIGNAL May 15, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1942 INVENTOR. 6; e 0 7:9 6 Orphan ATTORNEYS G. ORPHAN STOKER SIGNAL May 15, 1945.

Filed Aug. 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. e g e Orphan ATTEIRN EYS Patented May 15, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOKER SIGNAL George Orphan, Ottawa, Ill. Application August 17, 1942, Serial No. 455,124

' (c1. 2oo 52) 2 Claims.

Figure 1 is a side view of a stoker hopper with a portion broken away to illustrate the position oi the signal actuating means when the hopper is being filled;

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the hopper filled;

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the system set in operation through reduction of the coal supply in the hopper;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view of a warning switch;

Figure 5 is a view illustrating a switch actuat ing arm; and

Figure 6 is a view of a guide for one of the switch actuating parts.

In the embodiment selected for illustration, the hopper iii and the furnace i2 are conventional, with a duct id placing the hopper in communication with the furnace. To the wall 85 of the hopper it is mounted a switch housing It, as through the medium of bolts 20. To the wall 22 of the housing it is secured insulation 25 against which is positioned a contact plate 25 held in position by clamps it. The clamps 2t and the insulation 2t are secured to the wall 22 by bolts 30.

Extending through an opening in the wall 82 of the housing i8 is a switch rod 3% provided with an insulative body 36 carrying a contact 36 electrically connected with a line wire 48. The contact 26 is connected with a second line wire 62.

The rod 34 is slidably guided in a tube Mi secured to the housing is and containing a compression spring 56 engaging one end of the tube and a flange it attached to the rod 34 for nor mally holding the rod in the position of Figure 4, with the contact 38 spaced from the contact 2%. The contact 38 may be moved into engagement with the contact 25 by means of an arm 66 engageable with a head 52 on the rod 34. This arm is fixedly connected with the lower end oi a bar it slidably guided in a bracket 58 attached to the hopper wall IS.

A lever 58 is plvotally connected intermediate its ends at 50 with angles 62 secured to the wall it. This lever extends through a slot lid in the wall it. A plurality of openings 66 is provided in the bar 54 for selective reception oi a bolt Gil passing through an opening in the lever 58 for pivotaily connecting the lever with the bar outside the hopper. To the inner end of the lever BI is pivotally connected one end of a bar 10, the other end of this bar being pivotally connected with one end of a second bar I2 having a weight ll at its free end.

Coacting shoulders I8 are formed on thelever 58 and the bars 10 and 12 so that the parts may be pivoted to the positions of Figure l to facilitate loading of the hopper I0. However, the shoul ders engage when the lever and the bars are brought into end to end alignment to restrain further relative pivotal movement between the parts, as in Figures 2 and 3.

An electrically energized signal lamp it is in terposed in the line wire it. This lamp may be mounted on a wall inside a flrstfloor room.

In operation, the hopper i0 is loaded with coal to the level indicated in Figure 2, at which time the lever 58 and the bars "Hi and i2 lie horizontally at rest on the coal. As the coal dlminishes in the hopper, the downward pivotal movement of the lever 58 and the bars it end it imparts a lifting motion to the bar 84 to bring the arm 59 into lifting engagement with the rod 5% to close the circuit through the lamp. This takes place before all the coal has been removed from the hopper so that some time is allowed ior hopper filling purposes. In fact, the lamp it may burn for some time before all the coal is burned to eliminate the necessity oi immediate attention, particularly in the event that the attendant is absent at the moment that the circuit is closed through the lamp.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention, that others may, by applying current lmowledgc, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions oiv service.

I claim:

i. A switch-operating device for use with a coal stoker having a hopper from which the coal is i'ed, a lever pivotaliy attached to the hopper near the top thereof at the outside and extending through an opening in the wall of the hopper to engagethe coal and move downwardly as the level oi the coal falls with a pair of relatively pivoted here one at which is pivotally attached to the lever, said bars also engaging the surface of the coal pile and folding up when coal, is to he placed in the hopper, a weight attached to the free end of the outermost bar, a vertically movable switch actuating bar connected with the free end oi the lever to be moved by the lever as the level of the coal is raised or lowered and designed to contact a switch operating arm when the level of the coal in the hopper is low.

2. A switch-operating device for use with a coal stoker having a hopper from which the coal is fed, a lever pivotally mounted at a point of!- center between its ends to a support outside the hopper near the top thereof and the long end extending through an opening in the wall of the hopper to engage the coal and move downwardly as the level of the coal falls with use, a pair of bars pivoted to each other to fold in one direction and one of said bars pivotally attached to the long 

